Saddle Sore
GIRTH GALL
Signs
Hair is rubbed off and skin broken on side of withers or under girth, result of constant pressure or rubbing,
often leaves raw, bleeding sores, slow to heal.
Causes
Pressure brought about by an bad fitting saddle, such as one with shallow gullet used on horse with high,
narrow wither. Wrong technique may be used in saddling horse, signs are that hair is turned back rather than lying
flat and smooth, saddle cloth is wrinkled, skin under girth is wrinkled which all lead to pressure and or rubbing.
Treatment
Rest the horse from saddle and girth. If horse needs exercise to maintain fitness, lunge and swim him.
Check saddle and girth in relation to shape of horse and technique of saddling. Have saddle correctly fitted.
Sarcoid
Signs
Usually located on head, shoulders or lower limbs. One or several wart like growths varying in size and diameter. Thick, crusty surface, or may be raw, ulcerated, fleshy surface that bleeds freely when touched.
sarcoid, courtesy http://www.saddler.co.uk
Cause
May gain entry into skin that has been abraded by rubbing or trauma.
Treatment
Contact your veterinarian, may cauterise or surgically excise the lesion.
Even after surgical excision, sarcoid can recur.
saddle sore, courtesy http://www.dkimages.com
Seedy Toe
Signs
Separation of wall from sole at the toe, leaves a pocket or cavity running under wall,
if hoof wall is tapped, it emits hollow sound, when shoe is removed and sole is pared back at
toe, a hollow cavity is visible, often filled with black, foul smelling, greasy, decaying hoof, horse may or may not be lame.
Causes
Chronic founder, poor hoof trimming and shoeing, foreign body such as a small stone wedging between wall and sole.
Treatment
Consult your veterinarian, as antibiotics and tetanus injection may be indicated.
seedy toe, courtesy http://www.andalusians-for-you.com
Sesamoiditis
Signs
Swelling at back of fetlock, lameness, pain on application of pressure to sesamoid bones and on bending fetlock joint, in some cases only sign is horse stepping short.
Causes
Sesamoid bones are subject to pulling effect from ligaments attached to them,
constant pulling can aggravate the surface of the bones, sets up inflammation,
can be further aggravated by conformational faults such as long, sloping pasterns or by activities such as racing and jumping.
Treatment
Rest. Consult your veterinarian, X-ray , anti inflammatory drugs.